Groupon Guide

On this week’s agenda: Tony-winning musical Evita leaves the stage, families take in fall foliage, Taste of DC descends on Pennsylvania Avenue, the CW’s favorite magicians perform illusions, and the Wizards begin their season. Enjoy yourselves, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC.
Evita at the Kennedy Center Opera House
Foggy Bottom | Through October 19
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winning musical about Argentina's beloved Eva Peron closes this week after a critically acclaimed stop on its national tour. Washingtonian theater critic Jane Horwitz applauds Caroline Bowman's turn as Ms. Peron, saying the star ''plays the difficult, vocally challenging role with skill and precision.'' (2700 F St. NW; $39; buy tickets here)
Family Hike at Little Bennett Regional Park
Clarksburg, MD | Saturday, October 11
Families meet at Wilson Mill parking lot on Clarksburg Road before taking a guided tour of the park to learn about local wildlife and native trees dressed in fall colors. During the morning tour, guides will add their own insights regarding the ways area wildlife changes and adapts during the arrival of autumn. (23701 Frederick Rd., Clarksburg, MD; $10, free for kids; buy tickets here)
Taste of DC on Pennsylvania Avenue
National Mall | Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12
More than 40 restaurants will turn Pennsylvania Avenue into an open-air festival, setting up stalls to dispense lobster rolls, crepes, cuban sandwiches, and more. Between bites, guests can sip one of 50+ samples at the Stella Artois Beer Garden or the Wine Walk, or take in tunes from house musician Joe Maye and acoustic rockers the Dan McGuire Band. (Pennsylvania Ave., 9th–14th Sts. NW; $10; buy tickets here)
Masters of Illusion at Warner Theatre
Penn Quarter | Thursday, October 16
Based on the CW show, Masters of Illusion doubles up on the magic by taking time-tested tricks and making them more mind-bendingly crazy. For example, the magicians saw a woman in half, but this time, she's in a transparent box. During another trick, the performers make their participants float, and then levitate right alongside them. Expect more twists on the classic escape trick, and lots and lots of fire. (13th and E St. NW; $27.50; buy tickets here)
Washington Wizards Preseason Game at the Verizon Center
Chinatown | Friday, October 17
Building on last year's momentum—the Wizards blew past the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the playoffs—the same core team returns to the Verizon Center this season. The team includes familiar superstars John Wall, Bradley Beal, Marcin Gortat, Marcin Gortat's mohawk, and Drew Gooden, as well as new addition (and championship veteran) Paul Pierce. (601 F St. NW; $16; buy tickets here)
Photos courtesy of Evita on Broadway and Masters of Illusion

On this week’s agenda: a LEGO festival for kids and adults, a pub crawl to kick off Oktoberfest, and whimsical comedy from Aparna Nancherla. The MLK Jr. Memorial Library celebrates Banned Book Week, and the Folger Consort remembers lute ayres from Shakespeare’s day. Enjoy yourselves, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC.
Brick Fest Live LEGO Fan Festival at Maryland State Fairgrounds
Lutherville-Timonium | Through September 21
As children age up, so do the creations they build with LEGO bricks. At Brick Fest Live LEGO Fan Festival, adults and kids engage in a shared love of all things LEGO by building new creations and showing off ornate sculptures. You can also snag custom LEGO accessories, including sci-fi weapons scaled to a LEGO minifig's grasp. (2200 York Rd., Lutherville-Timonium, MD; $22; buy tickets here)
District Oktoberfest at RFD
Chinatown | September 20–21
To kick off a month of celebrating Bavarian culture, bar RFD is hosting a tour of Chinatown watering holes where participants guzzle a 12-ounce pour of each establishment's Oktoberfest speciality. The eight-hour beerathon will drop in at bars such as Iron Horse Tap Room, Penn Social, Jackpot, and Rocket Bar, and all locations will have specials in addition to their included beers. (810 7th St. NW; $25; buy tickets here)
Aparna Nancherla at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage
Foggy Bottom | Monday, September 22, at 6 p.m.
One of the 2013 New Faces at Just for Laughs, Aparna Nancherla brings her brand of whimsical, absurdist, and smart comedy to the Kennedy Center's Theater Lab. A DC native, Nancherla has recently made a name for herself performing standup on Conan and writing and corresponding for FX's Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. (2700 F St. NW; free)
Banned Books Week and Uncensored: The Art Exhibit at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library
Chinatown | Through September 27
The MLK Memorial Library salutes banned books with its new exhibit, Uncensored: The Art Exhibit. The collection showcases paintings, videos, and performance art that explore the concept of censorship. Programming also includes literary crafts for kids in the Children's Room, and a screening of To Kill A Mockingbird (Monday, September 22) to honor the once-banned book of the same title. (901 G St. NW; free)
Courting Elizabeth: Music and Patronage in Shakespeare's England at Folger Elizabethan Theatre
Capitol Hill | Friday, September 26, 8 p.m.
Strumming viols and a lute, the Folger Consort will perform five dances by Elizabethan lutenist John Dowland, who counted the King of Denmark and the Earl of Essex among his patrons. Also on the program: lute ayres and select lyra viol pieces by Scottish composer Tobias Hume. (201 E. Capitol St. SE; $37; buy tickets here)
Photo courtesy of Brick Fest Live

On this week’s agenda: a beer festival with the band !!!, flamenco music in the Sculpture Garden, a kid-size signing of the Constitution, the return of Lil Boosie, and a seriously transformative circus. Enjoy yourselves, and as always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in DC.
Third Annual Snallygaster Beer Festival at The Yards
The Yards | Saturday, September 13
This year's fest features more than 250 craft brews from around the globe, including autumn seasonals, cask ales, assorted barrel-aged beers, and craft cans. The beers will pair nicely with gourmet treats from local purveyors such as Red Hook Lobster Pound, Lemongrass Truck, Red Apron Butchery, and Takorean. Live music from dance-punk outfit !!! and local electro-pop artist Brett completes the festival trifecta. (1st St. SE and N St. SE; $35; buy tickets here)
Ricardo Marlow and Ensemble at the National Gallery of Art
National Mall | Sunday, September 14
Amid the leaves and statues of the Sculpture Garden, classical guitarist Ricardo Marlow will honor Hispanic Heritage Month with a performance of his signature flamenco melodies. Marlow's striking, percussive style is ideal for dancing, and will be amplified even further by the seductive strings of his accompanying ensemble. (700 Constitution Ave. NW; free)
Constitution Day Family Activities at Boeing Learning Center
Federal Triangle | Wednesday, September 17
Parents and kids can channel the penmanship of the Founding Fathers by reenacting the signing of the Constitution a mere 227 years later. The National Archives and Records Administration will provide quill pens for children to apply their own John Hancocks (or, in this case, George Washingtons) on replicas of the great document. Crafts and costumes will also be on hand to add to the colonial festivities. (700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; free)
Lil' Boosie at Echostage
Langdon Park | Friday, September 19, at 9 p.m.
Fresh from his release from Louisiana State Penitentiary, the rapper who perked ears with hits like "Give Me That" and "Better Believe It" is back with a new single ("Show Da World") and a new outlook on life. On this tour, expect him to get back to business, turning new phrases in preparation for his forthcoming album. (2135 Queens Chapel Rd. NE; $65; buy tickets here)
Big Apple Circus's Metamorphosis at Dulles Town Center
Sterling | Thursday, September 18, and Friday, September 19
New York's legendary circus troupe returns to bewitch crowds through trapeze artistry, torch juggling, contortion, and gymnastic feats performed on horses. The show is called Metamorphosis, and the acrobats take this theme seriously; many death-defying tricks and stunts focus on transformation, such as turning balls into flames. (21100 Dulles Town Circle, Suite 194, Sterling, Virginia; $35; buy tickets here)
Photos courtesy of Big Apple Circus, Snallygaster, and the National Gallery of Art.